Men’s basketball
Cougars cool off Colorado
WSU returns to recent winning
ways with tense victory over Buffs
By Cody Wendt, Lewiston Trib Feb
21, 2019
With half a second left on the
clock and his team trailing 76-74 Wednesday night at Beasley Coliseum,
Colorado's D'Shawn Schwartz caught an inbound pass and instantly launched a
3-point field goal attempt aimed at snatching the victory from the jaws of defeat
to the Cougar men.
It bricked off the back of the
rim, and Washington State fans heartbroken over the team's previous outing
gained some measure of consolation as the Cougs (11-15, 4-9 Pac 12) came away
with a satisfying victory.
The WSU triumph ended a
five-game winning streak for the Buffaloes, who came in gunning for a top-four
spot in the Pac-12 standings.
It was the Cougs' second
down-to-the-wire home game in a row and second upset of a Pac-12 standout in as
many weeks, and it confirmed the team's newfound momentum since the return of
Robert "Robo" Franks. WSU had lost to Colorado by 32 points in the
teams' most recent meeting.
After scoring back-to-back road
wins over Arizona and highly-regarded Arizona State on the road last week, the
Cougs suffered a wrenching 72-70 defeat to home state rival University of
Washington on Saturday, but they took the proper positives away from that game
and into this one, according to coach Ernie Kent.
"When you talk about
losing those close games like that, there has to be something gained, and
that's why you always look on the positive side of things," Kent said of
his team's recent meeting with the Pac-12 No. 1. "To lose a game like the
UW game, you had to do a lot of things right to get in position to lose a game
like that, so you really look at that and understand how to get past that. This
game was just as important to win, to learn how to hang in there and close out
an opponent as good as Colorado."
The rival squads were almost
continuously deadlocked on the scoreboard throughout the first half, with leads
of more than one possession in short supply.
WSU opened up a four-point gap
at 14-10 after a clamor from the Cougar support section egged on by
cheerleaders' "NOISE" signs was rewarded with a Colorado airball
recovered by Marvin Cannon, who sent it across the court for a Jervae Robinson
3-point goal assisted by CJ Elleby. Colorado would fight back to lead by as
many as five points, holding a 29-24 advantage at the end of a seven-point run
with six minutes left in the half, but a WSU rally punctuated by an Aljaz Kunc
jump shot turned the tables down the stretch for a 38-33 Cougar lead with five
seconds on the clock. Colorado guard and first-half score leader McKinley
Wright managed a long-range buzzer-beating 3-pointer to bring his team back
within a possession at 38-36 before they headed to the locker room for
intermission.
The Cougs came out hot from
3-point range to start the second half, with two outside buckets from Ahmed Ali
and one from Cannon opening up a six-point lead at 47-41. Colorado's Shane
Gatling answered with his own pair of 3s to tie things up at 47-47, and the
momentum lay with the Buffs for the next five minutes as they surged to their
own six-point buffer of 59-53.
Rather than fade down the stretch
as was their wont for much of the season, however, WSU found a second wind and
a nine-point run for 62-59 just before the eight-minute mark. The score would
remain within a possession either way for the last eight minutes of regulation.
All told, there were 22 lead changes in the game.
Colorado (16-10, 7-7) had its
last lead of the evening at 74-73 with less than two minutes to go before an
Isaiah Wade layup put WSU back in front at 75-74. The Cougs looked to run the
clock down in the last minute, and a fifth foul of the night from Battey put
Wade at the free-throw line with 10 seconds remaining, where his first attempt
rolled in to establish the eventual final score.
Elleby had perhaps the most
complete performance of any player on the night, shooting 6-for-13 from the
field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line for 18 points while making eight
rebounds and four assists. Franks scored a game-leading 19 points and managed
six boards of his own, and Cannon contributed 13 points, five rebounds and
three blocks. Isaiah Wade's defensive showing for WSU received plaudits after
he captured eight rebounds and a game-high three steals.
Wright and Battey led Colorado
in scoring with 13 points apiece, followed closely by Gatling and Bey with 12
each.
"You no longer can come up
to the Northwest and put all your attention on UW," concluded Kent as he
summed up his team's improvement. "This is not an easy trip, coming up
here."
COLORADO (16-10)
Siewert 1-10 0-0 3, Gatling
4-13 0-0 12, M.Wright 5-12 2-2 13, Bey 3-6 6-8 12, Schwartz 2-7 0-0 6, Battey
4-7 5-6 13, Strating 2-2 0-1 4, Kountz 3-6 1-1 8, Parquet 1-3 1-1 3. Totals
25-66 15-19 74.
WASHINGTON ST. (11-15)
Pollard 1-2 0-0 2, Franks 6-19
5-6 19, Cannon 4-8 3-3 13, Daniels 0-1 2-2 2, Ali 4-6 0-0 11, Wade 1-2 2-4 4,
Elleby 6-13 4-4 18, Kunc 1-1 0-0 2, Robinson 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 25-55 16-19 76.
Halftime_Washington St. 38-36.
3-Point Goals_Colorado 9-29 (Gatling 4-10, Schwartz 2-5, Kountz 1-3, M.Wright
1-3, Siewert 1-7, Parquet 0-1), Washington St. 10-19 (Ali 3-3, Elleby 2-4,
Cannon 2-4, Franks 2-6, Robinson 1-2). Fouled Out_Battey. Rebounds_Colorado 37
(Bey 12), Washington St. 33 (Wade, Elleby 8). Assists_Colorado 16 (M.Wright 7),
Washington St. 17 (Robinson, Elleby 4). Total Fouls_Colorado 19, Washington St.
19. A_1,911 (11,671).
::::
Vince Grippi of Spokane S-R
says
• The Cougars are about three
missed free throws away from having won four consecutive games. Who would have
thought that a couple weeks ago?
Not most WSU fans, that for
sure. At least the ones on Twitter.
Still, Washington State
followed up its desert sweep with a tough – but tight – loss at home to
conference-leading Washington. Then last night the hottest team in the league
invaded Pullman – and headed to Seattle with its first defeat in three weeks.
Colorado had won five
consecutive games. The Buffs were healthy. They were eyeing a top-four spot and
a conference tournament bye.
None of those are in play this
morning following WSU’s 78-74 victory.
Robert Franks scored just 19
points, a decent performance but putting to bed the idea he has to get 30 for
the Cougars to compete. C.J. Elleby didn’t start, but he came off the bench to
score 18 more – and grab eight rebounds.
And the Cougars? They are
starting to be a tough out. That’s an improvement on earlier this year.
WSU: Theo Lawson was in Beasley
last night with a thousand or so of his closest friends. He has the coverage of
the win over Colorado. And the snow played a big role in the crowd count of
less than two thousand. …
….
WSU MEN’s BASKETBALL
Washington State halts Pac-12’s
hottest team, edging Colorado for 76-74 victory
UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 20, 2019,
11:04 p.m.
By Theo Lawson S-R of Spokane
PULLMAN – Over the past 13
days, the Washington State Cougars had picked up a pair of critical road
victories and taken the Pac-12 Conference’s top team down to the wire in their
best stretch of basketball this season.
Still, nobody would have
classified WSU as the hottest team in the conference. But defeating the
rightful owner of that title may have helped the Cougars swing a few opinions.
Since Feb. 2, nobody had been
better than Colorado, which took a five-game win streak into Wednesday night’s
contest at Beasley Coliseum. But it’s possible nobody has been more confident
than the Cougars, who stopped the Buffaloes in their tracks, winning 76-74
behind strong offensive games from Robert Franks and CJ Elleby.
Franks, the Pac-12’s leading
scorer, paced the home team with 19 points. Elleby came off the bench to score
18 and grab eight rebounds.
“I think it speaks volumes to
where this team is at right now,” Franks said. “And we’ve just got to keep
moving forward. This is a great win, but tomorrow we’ve got to get ready and
prepare for Saturday.”
The Cougars (11-15, 4-9) have
won three of their past four games. The lone exception was a two-point loss to
Washington on Saturday. WSU led for long stretches in that game before the
Huskies closed them down in the final 10 minutes.
Wednesday’s game against CU
followed a different pattern. In total, there were 22 lead changes.
Both teams led by six points at
stages of the game, but neither the Cougars or Buffaloes led by more than six.
The lead flipped 14 times in
the second half, but the Cougars didn’t let it go once Isaiah Wade tipped an
offensive rebound back into the hoop, making it 75-74 with 1:24 to play.
In the final 1 1/2 minutes, WSU
played with the urgency – and maybe more important, the execution – it needed
against the Huskies, forcing five CU misses late to emerge with the victory.
Wade made the front end of his
free throws with 10 seconds to play and Jervae Robinson forced the Buffs’
McKinley Wright to take a tough 3-pointer on the other end.
CU had one more opportunity
with less than a second left, but D’Shawn Schwartz’s 3-pointer – taken deep off
an inbound pass – fell short of the target and WSU players poured off the home
bench in celebration.
“I think in the last few
minutes, we just locked in a little bit more,” Elleby said, “and we focused on
time management. When we had the ball in our hands, we took the clock down, and
so I think we did a way better job of executing down the stretch.”
Not that either team was
prepared to give it away. In the final 10:19, the biggest lead was three
points, held twice by WSU, and the lead switched nine times during that span.
“It was definitely a fight all
game,” Elleby said. “They’re a great team, they just won five in a row, so it
was tough for us to come in. We just battled all game and we never got down on
ourselves, so I think that’s a positive.”
WSU forward Jeff Pollard took a
hard elbow to the head in the first half and played only briefly in the second.
That meant more floor time for
Wade, who did most of his work on the defensive end, with three steals and
eight rebounds.
The Buffaloes had shot at least
40 percent from the field in each of their past 11 Pac-12 games, but were held
to 37 percent (25 of 66). WSU made big strides in the turnover column, too,
giving the ball away just 12 times after committing 19 turnovers against the
Huskies.
The Cougars’ improvement has
been quantifiable. WSU lost an 18-point game to UW the first time the teams
met, but fell just 72-70 in the second meeting. The Cougars’ biggest margin of
defeat this season came against CU in Boulder 40 days ago, as the Buffaloes won
92-60 at the Coors Events Center.
“I think the next part for us
is just to continue to play those people we played in the first half of the
conference,” coach Ernie Kent said. “Colorado just kicked us in Boulder. Utah
did the same thing, and obviously UW. I know the fans can see it, but I want
our guys to continue to feel just how much better they’ve gotten over time.”
:::::::::::::
With winning streak over, CU men’s
basketball basketball looks to regroup for league-leading Washington
Buffs must rekindle recent
defensive form
By Pat Rooney Boulder Camera POSTED: 02/21/2019 04:40:24 PM MST
PULLMAN — No loss feels good.
Some, however, inevitably sting a little more deeply than others.
Coach Tad Boyle lamented this
dynamic late Wednesday night after his Colorado men's basketball team dropped a
76-74 decision at Washington State. It wasn't just the end of a five-game
winning streak — the Buffaloes' longest in conference play in 13 years — that
left such a sour taste. It was misfiring down the stretch in a very winnable
game, along with a missed opportunity to inch a little closer to the team's
preseason goals on the road, that had the Buffs regretting what could have been
as they attempt to shake off their first defeat in three weeks in order to
regroup for Saturday's date against Pac-12-leading Washington.
"It's amazing the
difference between a one-possession game you have in a loss versus a win,"
Boyle said. "If we'd have won this (WSU) game I would have been obviously
really proud and excited for our guys. But we didn't. Winning and losing
matters. Our guys wanted to win, but we weren't good enough. Washington State
beat us. The credit goes to them."
Prior to the season, CU set the
lofty goal of winning seven road games this season, a feat that hasn't been
achieved by any Buffs team since they went 7-4 on the road during the 1951-52
season. Despite dropping several winnable road games along the way this season
— San Diego, Hawaii, Stanford, and again Wednesday at WSU — the Buffs
nonetheless would have been in position to reach that goal had they knocked off
the Cougars, though it would have taken a significant upset at UW in the final
regular-season road game of the year.
"I approached this (WSU)
like this is our season right here. And we lost," CU redshirt freshman
Evan Battey said. "We have another opportunity at Washington on Saturday.
That's how I'm going to approach it, and I hope everyone else does too."
Despite shooting .379 at
Washington State, the Buffs' lowest total since their opening two Pac-12 games
in Arizona, Boyle said afterwards his team's 74 points on the road should have
been enough to come out with a victory. But the Cougars shot .455, the most by
a CU opponent since before the winning streak started, and WSU's .526 mark on
3-pointers (10-for-19) was the best mark by a CU foe in Pac-12 play and the
second-highest this season (Indiana State shot .563, 9-for-16, in a Buffs loss
on Dec. 22.)
"It's going to be a
totally different environment," Boyle said. "It's going to be sold
out. Washington is rolling. We're going to be playing against a zone for 40
minutes. (At WSU) we probably played against it probably for 30. We'd better
handle it better than we handled it (Wednesday). We've got to play inside-out.
We've got to be aggressive. We've got to move the ball. We've got to make plays
for each other."
"If we score 74 points
against Washington, I'll take that right now. We've got to hold them to below
74. As a coach, I can't control shots going in. I can't control guys driving in
and turning it over. Those things I can't control. But I feel like what I can
control is our defensive mindset, and (at WSU) for some reason I didn't have
our guys ready. They weren't dialed-in defensively and it showed."
…………………..
WSU Baseball tosses one-hitter
for first win of season
Cougs were two outs away from
combined no-hitter, win 10-0
Sophomore infielder Garrett
Gouldsmith hits the ball in the scrimmage against Gonzaga University on Oct. 21
at Bailey-Brayton Field.
By ISAAC SEMMLER, Evergreen Feb
21, 2019
WSU baseball was two outs shy
of tossing a combined no-hitter Thursday night against Santa Clara. Instead,
the Cougars had to settle for a 10-0 shutout win over the Broncos on the road
to grab their first win of the season.
Santa Clara got off to a bad
start allowing three of the first four Cougar batters to reach base. Sophomore
outfielder Collin Montez got the scoring started for WSU with a bloop single to
center field to score junior outfielder Danny Sinatro.
Despite a tough start to the
game for Broncos junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Howard, senior infielder
Andres Alvarez got caught stealing and Howard forced a groundout to escape the
inning.
Freshman right-handed pitcher
Brandon White started the game for the Cougars and delivered a quick
one-two-three first inning for WSU.
The early parts of the game
gave the impression fans were watching a pitcher’s duel as both the Broncos and
Cougars were making quick work of their opponents.
Through three innings, White
was nothing short of dominant. He didn’t allow a runner on base and struck out
five.
Freshman infielder Kyle
Manzardo hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the top of the fourth inning to
score Alvarez and give WSU a 2-0 lead.
The Cougars forced Howard out
of the game with one out remaining in the fourth inning. With two runners still
on base, WSU picked up back-to-back hits, a walk and two stolen bases from a
pair of wild pitches to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
After a harsh pitching
performance in the fourth for the Broncos, WSU was unable to get on base in the
next two innings. However, Santa Clara failed to get on base through five
innings and looked sloppy on defense with three errors.
Six innings into the game,
Santa Clara had settled down on defense but were getting no-hit by White who
was throwing a perfect game until a bad hop at shortstop forced an error by
Alvarez.
After 6 1/3 innings pitched,
Head Coach Marty Lees took out White, who walked off to a standing ovation from
Cougar fans in attendance.
An RBI double from junior
infielder Dillon Plew increased WSU’s lead to 8-0.
Montez continued his tremendous
night on offense in the ninth with a leadoff triple. A walk and two errors
allowed the Cougars to score another run and win the game 10-0.
WSU faces Santa Clara in the
second game of the series 6 p.m. Friday at Stephen Schott Stadium.
:::::::::::
Jon Wilner of San Jose Merc
News “Pac-12 Hotline “
Pac-12 spring football primer:
A comprehensive, team-by-team preview
2/21/2019 in Seattle Times
Arizona State has already begun
spring practice. Washington won't take the field until April. As each team
prepares for spring football, Pac-12 Hotline's Jon Wilner fills you in on what
you need to know.
This time last year, the South
division was loaded with intrigue driven by fresh faces, be it the new head
coaches at Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA or the freshman quarterback at USC.
There’s no shortage of intrigue
this winter, either, but now it’s about several of those fresh faces reversing
negative narratives.
Meanwhile, no head coaching
changes and only one major move at the coordinator level — the departure of
Oregon defensive playcaller Jim Leavitt — would seem to indicate stability in
the conference’s dominant division.
That’s not entirely the case,
however.
Four teams have varying degrees
of uncertainty at quarterback, either because the returning starter was
underwhelming in 2018 (Oregon State and Cal) or because there is no returning
starter and the presumed replacements haven’t taken a snap competitively for
their team (Washington and Washington State).
The Hotline made every effort
to avoid a quarterback overload in the team-by-team assessments below.
But it’s difficult … very, very
difficult.
We begin with Arizona State,
which is already under way, and continue in chronological order.
Arizona State
Start: Feb. 5
End: Feb. 28
Key addition: freshman
quarterback Jayden Daniels
What to watch: Three freshmen
quarterbacks, one junior quarterback, and a huge void to fill following Manny
Wilkins’ departure. Daniels was the top-ranked quarterback in California in the
class of ’19 and will be given every opportunity to win the job. There seems to
be less-than-zero chance of coach Herm Edwards and offensive coordinator Rob
Likens naming a starter at the close of camp, but we should have a decent feel
for which of the four quarterbacks won’t have a chance to start in September.
It’s not all about the rookies; don’t discount veteran Dillon Sterling-Cole.
Spring game: Feb. 28 (6 p.m.)
Cal
Start: Feb. 25
End: March 22
Key addition: quarterback Devon
Modster (transfer from UCLA)
What to watch: The unwatchable,
also known as Cal’s offense. There are several issues to resolve in order for
the Bears to be merely adequate. Will Modster, from Westwood by way of Palomar
College, beat out incumbent Chase Garbers, who hardly locked down the starting
job with his uneven play? Who will replace Patrick Laird, who rushed for 961
yards. And what of the downfield passing game? The Bears averaged a measly 5.7
yards per attempt, lacked big-play speed and must replace their top-two
wideouts. Oh, and the offensive line must replace two key starters. Coach
Justin Wilcox retained his assistants but shuffled assignments, in case you
were wondering.
Spring game: March 16 (11 a.m.)
Stanford
Start: March 1
End: April 13
Key addition: freshman receiver
Elijah Higgins (not enrolled for spring)
What to watch: Sure, the
Cardinal needs big-plays replacements for tailback Bryce Love and receiver JJ
Arcega-Whiteside. But the opportunities will be limited for receivers and
running backs if Stanford doesn’t upgrade an offensive line that underachieved
last fall. That process must start in earnest this spring due to the grueling
early-season schedule (Northwestern, USC, UCF and Oregon in the first month).
Guard Foster Sarell and tackle Walker Little are elite talents, and they aren’t
alone in that regard. If the unit doesn’t make a jump in cohesion in the second
year under Kevin Carberry, something’s amiss.
Spring game: April 13 (1 p.m.)
Utah
Start: March 4
End: April 13
Key addition: offensive
coordinator Andy Ludwig
What to watch: Yes, we’re
curious about Ludwig’s approach but assuming there won’t be radical changes to
the scheme his predecessor, Troy Taylor put in place. Instead, the Hotline
plans to keep a close eye on the middle of the defense following the departures
of linebackers Chase Hansen and Cody Barton and safeties Marquise Blair and
Corrion Ballard. The most intriguing player in that regard is linebacker
Francis Bernard, the BYU transfer, who takes a larger role for the Utes in
2019. The perimeter should be first rate. If the interior is merely solid, Utah
will again have one of the best defenses in the conference.
Spring game: April 13 (10 a.m.)
Oregon State
Start: March 5
End: April 20
Key addition: quarterback
Tristan Gebbia (Nebraska transfer)
What to watch: Here’s a better
question: What doesn’t need to be watched? Well, the Beavers are set at
tailback with Jermar Jefferson, and the receivers (Trevon Bradford and Isaiah
Hodgins) are more than acceptable. Otherwise, there are issues, holes,
questions and concerns everywhere for second-year coach Jonathan Smith.
Emerging from spring with a No. 1 quarterback would help matters, but that
depends on Jake Luton’s health and Gebbia’s comfort with the offense. He was a
highly-rated prospect in high school (Calabasas) who left Lincoln last summer
after losing the QB competition.
Spring game: April 20 (11 a.m.)
UCLA
Start: March 5
End: April 20
Key addition: freshman
offensive lineman Sean Rhyan
What to watch: Sophomore quarterback
Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s development is vital to a turnaround, but several
other areas that demand attention, too. Topping the list, in the Hotline’s
opinion, are the defensive edges. UCLA was 119th in the country in sacks per
game last season (1.25) and 117th in tackles-for-loss (4.58). The pressure must
improve. The Bruins have several solid pieces, including Keisean Lucier-South,
but no obvious replacement for the dynamic Jaelan Phillips, who left the
program.
Spring game: April 20 (TBA)
USC
Start: March 5
End: April 6
Key addition: offensive
coordinator Graham Harrell
What to watch: The Hotline is
of the opinion that the Trojans should recreate their Student Body Right/Left
dominance at the line of scrimmage and bludgeon all foes. Of course, that would
take a different head coach, a new mindset and revamped recruiting/teaching of
offensive linemen. Given the realities of the program in 2019, anything Harrell
can do to spread the field and add creativity to the passing game — screen
passes! — will upgrade the offense. It’s Pro Style (traditional USC) vs.
Conference USA (Helton’s background) vs. hybrid Air Raid (Harrell).
Spring game: April 6 (11 a.m.)
Oregon
Start: March 7
End: April 20
Key addition: receiver Juwan
Johnson (Penn State transfer)
What to watch: The easy answer
would be the receivers, where the Ducks must not only replace Dillon Mitchell
but find dependable second and third options for quarterback Justin Herbert. Or
you could argue the focus should be on Keith Heyward, who (presumably) takes
charge of the defense following Jim Leavitt’s departure. But the Hotline is
curious about a larger issue in Eugene this spring: What do the Ducks want to
accomplish on offense? What’s their mentality? And are the players fully bought
in? Watching them last year, it was difficult to spot an identity (run or pass,
power or finesse, tempo or grind,). Perhaps this spring will bring clarity.
Spring game: April 20 (2 p.m.)
Arizona
Start: March 18
End: April 13
Key addition: freshman receiver
Jalen Curry
What to watch: We could focus on Khalil Tate’s body language and
interactions with play-caller Noel Mazzone and coach Kevin Sumlin and leave it
at that. But we won’t, because Tate needs someone to throw to. More than one
someone, in fact, and the Wildcats lost their top-three receivers (Shawn
Poindexter, Shun Brown and Tony Ellison combined for 23 of 29 touchdown
receptions). Who emerges this spring? All eyes will be on Curry, the Wildcats’
only 4-star recruit. But the role players from ’18 must develop.
Spring game: April 13 (5 p.m.)
Colorado
Start: March 18
End: April 27
Key addition: defensive tackle
Jauna’vius Johnson (from Auburn)
What to watch: Obvious answer:
Laviska Shenault’s toe. More nuanced answer: CU’s mindset. The Hotline chatted
with Mel Tucker at the national championship game, and it’s clear that he plans
to deploy a physical approach at the at the line of scrimmage, one shaped not
only by his time in the SEC (Alabama and Georgia) but also the AFC North. (He
was on the Browns’ staff when did did not stink.) Going old school in a
division with several finesse teams makes sense for the Buffaloes. Adding
Johnson is a good start toward that end.
Spring game: April 27 (12 p.m.)
Washington State
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Start: March 21
End: April 23
Key addition: quarterback Gage
Gubrud (Eastern Washington transfer)
What to watch: The competition
at quarterback … and everywhere. Recall what Mike Leach said midway through
last season when asked to explain WSU’s unexpected success: “I’m not sure that
part of it didn’t have to do with the fact that we had so many open jobs and so
many people competing for jobs. You had to fight to get reps.” The Cougars have
a load of returning starters, particularly on offense, and plenty of veteran
second-stringers — all of which is better than having inexperience across all
units. But how will Leach recreate the sense of urgency that fueled the ’18 run
when he has so many incumbents?
Spring game: April 20 (1 p.m.)
Washington
Start: April 3
End: April 27
Key addition: quarterback Jacob
Eason (Georgia transfer)
What to watch: Jacob Eason,
Jacob Eason and, well … He’s not an addition to the program so much as to the
active roster, having sat out last year following the transfer. Eason steps
into a situation primed for success, with a veteran line, experienced receivers
and nice pieces in the backfield. But he hasn’t played competitively since
early in the 2017 season, which came after he lost his job to a freshman (Jake
Fromm), which came after a knee injury. In other words, there are questions as
2019 approaches: What’s the rust level? What the comfort level with the
playbook? How’s the dynamic with OC Bush Hamdan? Drawing conclusions from
intra-squad scrimmages could be tricky due to the significant number of
first-time starters on defense.
Spring game: April 27 (12 p.m.)
::
Wine and chocolate: Researchers probe science behind
Cupid’s favorite gifts
February
13, 2019
By
Seth Truscott, WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource
Sciences
Few
gifts say Happy Valentine’s Day better than wine and chocolate. These time‑honored
hallmarks of affection are among the most popular and beloved Valentine’s
traditions. But exactly what makes them so desirable, so delicious, has long
remained a mystery.
Now,
a pair of WSU researchers is shedding new light on the science behind why
we love these icons of conviviality and love.
The Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science
Center in Richland, Washington, is home to a team of world‑renowned
viticulture and enologists, specialists in the sciences of grape growing and
winemaking. Among them is associate professor of enology Jim Harbertson, whose work is
breaking new ground in understanding the sensory properties of wine.
Winemakers
have long viewed grape maturity as one of the key influencers on all sensory
aspects of their wines — from flavor and aroma, to mouthfeel and color. But
Harbertson and a team of scientists from New Zealand and California have
been studying various maturity stages in Washington state Merlot grapes and
have found that “ethanol concentrations” outweigh fruit maturity when it comes
to influencing sensory properties.
“It’s
not just the fruit,” says Harbertson. “It’s the alcohol.”
While
this may seem intuitive to any wine enthusiast, it’s a significant breakthrough
in wine science. In fact, their study — first published in 2017 — was recently
awarded “Best Paper” by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.
And
while you’re considering whether to pair a bar of milk or dark chocolate
with your Valentine bottle of Washington wine, Omar Cornejo is considering the
evolutionary process that gave us Theobroma cacao,
“food of the gods,” the forebear to chocolate as we know it and love it today.
A
population geneticist in the WSU School of Biological Sciences,
Cornejo is the lead author on a study that analyzed the genomes of
200 cacao plants to better understand when cacao was domesticated.
Cacao
originates in the Amazon jungle, where it is thought to have diverged from its
common ancestor around 10 million years ago. According to Cornejo’s study,
domestication started approximately 3,600 years ago. It was this process
of domestication that ended up selecting for flavor, disease resistance, and
the stimulant theobromine and yielding the rare and delicate
Criollo cacao, “the prince of cocoas.”
“Domesticated
Criollo populations are extremely differentiated from any other populations,”
explains Cornejo. “We used the signature of domestication to explore questions
concerning the effect that domestication had on the genomic architecture of the
plant.” By his team’s estimation, approximately 750 individual plants
effectively contributed to the genetic pool of domesticated Criollo cacao.
How
long the process took is still unclear, but Cornejo is working with other
anthropology researchers to sequence samples of ancient cacao DNA in hopes
of better understanding how far back we can identify some of the genetic
variants we associate with modern domesticated Criollo cacao. Their
insights could help identify genes behind traits that breeders can emphasize,
like increased yield.
So,
on this Valentine’s Day, as we celebrate friendship and love, let us take
a moment to celebrate the science that helps explain the world around us, solve
problems and better appreciate the things we love.
:::::::::::
Moving Crimson & Gray Game
back to WSU was a must for Chun
By BRADEN JOHNSON Feb 19, 2019
Cougfan.com
WASHINGTON STATE athletic
director Patrick Chun told Cougs in 60 radio host Derek Deis on Tuesday fan
interest in having the spring game played in Pullman for the first time since
2011 made the switch a must-do.
“There’s been a lot of work
done on Martin Stadium since the game has gone to Spokane, and the feedback
we’ve been getting is our alums want an excuse just to come back to Pullman,”
Chun said.
The contest has been played
inside Joe Albi Stadium since 2011, and Chun said the crowd size in past
editions and support from Washington State fans and alumni in Spokane made the
switch a difficult one. However, Chun said the declining condition of Joe Albi
Stadium was a decisive factor.
“Joe Albi didn’t make that
decision easy for us, because we love going to Spokane and all the support and
just excitement that’s in Spokane when we’re up there,’ Chun said. “It wasn’t a
layup-type decision, but just because of where Joe Albi is at and the condition
that stadium is in, it was just time to move our spring game.”
WSU announced Thursday the
spring game will kick off at 1 p.m. on April 20. The Pac-12 Network will again
televise the event. Admission is free for WSU students, general admission seats
will go for $5 and club level seats are available for $10 for CAF members and
premium season ticket holders. Proceeds will go toward the ASWSU Coug Health
Fund. You can find full details here.
HOW TO BEST KEEP SPOKANE
involved in the spring game festivities, and begin anew traditions in Pullman,
became a question Chun and the rest of the Athletic Department had to answer. A
CougsFirst! show and after party will be held on April 18 in Spokane, with Chun
saying the event will essentially “kick off” spring game week.
Chun also said WSU’s sports
teams will take part in a Behind Happy Faces program – a mental health program
designed for high school and college students – workshop at Pullman High
School.
"So many things going on -
I think it's Junior Day on campus as well on that Saturday," said Chun.
CHUN SAID THE RETURN of fifth-year
senior offensive lineman Robert Valencia makes an already deep position group
even more well-rounded heading into spring practices. Valencia was awarded a
sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA on Friday,
“That’s a key position for us,
and coming back for another year was in alignment with his goals,” Chun said of
Valencia. “Hopefully, when it’s all said and done, he’s added to what is an
already impressive offensive line.”
VALENCIA WAS rock solid playing
in relief of junior-to-be Josh Watson at right guard in WSU’s Alamo Bowl win,
but Chun said another WSU student-athlete awarded a sixth year of eligibility
last week is just as gutsy. Cougar soccer goalkeeper Ella Dederick was awarded a
medical redshirt by the NCAA this past Wednesday. She suffered a season-ending torn ACL in
September.
Chun said Dederick is one of
the best players in the nation.
“For those who don’t know, (she
is) arguably the best goalkeeper in college soccer,” Chun said of Dederick.
“One of the best athletes we have here at Washington State. I’d argue, pound
for pound, one of the toughest athletes we have here.”
Dederick started games in goal
for three-plus years prior to her injury. A Camarillo, California native,
Dederick has the second-most wins (32) and recorded the fifth-most saves (222)
in program history.
WSU MEN’S HOOPS drew a
season-high 4,233 fans on Saturday to Beasley Coliseum for the Cougars’ game
against Washington and Chun said the crowd validated the Athletic Department’s
efforts to create an atmosphere for the rivalry match.
“We put a lot of emphasis on
this game,” he said. “I don’t know what old times in Beasley felt like, but you
leave there knowing that this is a community that cares deeply about its
basketball program.”
The Cougars lost 72-70, though
Chun said the energy in the gym was a step in the right direction in trying to
rebrand the gameday experience at Beasley Coliseum.
“We’re in the process of trying
to reinvent or rethink or repurpose what our atmosphere looks like,” he said.
“There’s an element here that both things have to grow at the same time – the
game presentation and the basketball.”
COUGAR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL thrashed
the Huskies 94-61 inside Beasley on Friday and head coach Kamie Ethridge said
recording a season-sweep over UW is crucial to her staff’s efforts to sign more
in-state and West Coast recruits.
The Cougars’ roster has
featured just three Washingtonians over the last five seasons, two of whom
(Nike McClure and Taryn Shelly) transferred out of the program following former
head coach June Daugherty’s dismissal.
“I think it’s so key for us
just to establish ourselves on the recruiting circuits and to make friends and
to reach out,” Ethridge said. “It may be too late to get some 2020’s because of
how the recruiting cycle works, but we’re going to build a lot of relationships
and we’re going to get in with some great kids and some great players in this area
and this region. It is going to be our lifeline. It's something we really have
to do to grow and to succeed.”
NOTABLE NOTE: Cougfan.com is a
proud CougsFirst! co-sponsor for the seventh-straight year.
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